Main menu

Question About Agriculture? Ask a Farmer on Twitter

Twitter users often use #FF (short for "Follow Friday") to highlight people they think their followers should follow as well. Today, though, I’m using #FF for "Follow Farmers."

When I first started to explore agriculture a few years ago, I was surprised to discover what a great resource Twitter is. There are a huge number of passionate farmers on Twitter, committed to sharing information about food and farming and to answering any questions consumers may have.

I’ve rounded up a list of some of my favorite farmers on Twitter:

@AskTheFarmers: Have a question about agriculture or food production? Ask a Farmer! This Twitter handle is managed by a group of diverse farmers ready answer questions.

@FarmDaughterUSA: Amanda, a Michigan based farm blogger, uses Twitter to dispel myths about growing crops, and to explain why and how farmers use crop protection tools and GMOs.

@TheFarmersLife: Brian Scott is a corn, soybean, popcorn and wheat farmer in Indiana. On Twitter, he highlights technology (like drones) he uses to grow food. He also uses Periscope to take followers onto the fields.

@TheFarmersWifee: Krista Stauffer, a first-generation dairy farmer, posts photos of her cows, milk facts and recipes on her Twitter feed.

@MinnFarmer: Pig farmer Wanda Patsche talks about what it takes to raise hogs and is a great resource for questions about animal antibiotics.

@FarmGirlJen: Jennie Schmidt is a former dietitian who now farms in Maryland. Not only is she a wealth of information on farming, but she also regularly shares nutrition information.

For more information on food and farming, tune into #AgChat, held on the first, second and fourth Tuesdays of the month from 8 to 10 p.m. During the chat, farmers from all around the world talk about farming methods. Their goal is to create an ongoing, open dialogue between farmers and consumers. If you’re interested in learning more about the people who produce food, fiber and fuel, and how they do it, it’s definitely worth checking out.

Next time you have a question about farming, instead of going to Google, consider going to Twitter and asking a farmer directly.

Elizabeth Held is a director at the White House Writers Group, where she advises food and agriculture clients.